


Disappointment Doesn't Last Forever

by Pas_Cal



Series: Gallantry of Gilbert [7]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Developing Friendships, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Some Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-28
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2019-05-30 02:57:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15087488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pas_Cal/pseuds/Pas_Cal
Summary: The Iron Curtain has fallen, and while most are eager to move on, Ivan remains indifferent about the loss and his prospective future.Who knew that comfort could come from the must unlikely of people...





	Disappointment Doesn't Last Forever

**Author's Note:**

> One shot request from Carnagekiid on Tumblr
> 
> \------
> 
> Post-reunification, early 1990s

“So is staring forlornly out into space your new favourite pass-time or somethin’? Cause it’s awful pitiful.”

Ivan didn’t have to look to know who it was plopping down beside him. A pair of skinny legs stretched out in his peripheral vision, clothed in suit pants and impeccably shined shoes.

“What do you want, Gilbert?” Ivan asked rather dryly, leaning forward to rest his arms on his knees and clasp his hands together.

“Figured I haven’t pestered you in a while,” Gilbert shrugged, crossing his legs at the ankle as he spoke, “I’ve got a quota to meet, you see.”

“Is that so.” Ivan hummed disinterestedly. 

The two were sat on the outside steps of a conference building. It was meant to be a lunch break, but Gilbert himself had been snacking the entire meeting and Ivan seemed not to be hungry in the slightest.

“You didn’t seem to be paying attention at the meeting either.” Gilbert added, fishing through his pockets until he found what he was looking for. He pulled out a cigarette and lighter, taking the opportunity to have a smoke while the meeting was out of session.

“That would be because I’m not interested.”

“Yikes. Economy got you down?”

Ivan shot Gilbert a sidelong glare, watching as the other impassively brought his cigarette to his lips and took a drag. Gilbert didn’t seem phased by the piercing look.

“You know very well what the problem is,  _East_.”

“Hey now,” Gilbert frowned, leaning forward a bit to scowl at the other, “It’s one Germany. I’m back to just Gilbert.”

“Just?” Ivan echoed, raising a curious brow. Gilbert shrugged, tucking his carton of cigarettes back in his breast pocket. “You seem…remarkably okay with that,” Ivan said slowly.

“It’s nothin’ I haven’t been through before. Just…a little more permanent, I think. No more strings to pull to get me back on the map.”

“Right,” Ivan paused, “you’ve gone through this twice now.”

“Two and a half if you wanna count that coup d’etat or whatever in ‘33. Was it ‘33? Hell if I know, that was a messed up decade.” He fell quiet when he noticed Ivan seeming to lose interest in the conversation. Gilbert watched him for several long moments, cigarette perched idly between his lips.

The Soviet Union had officially been dissolved. All the satellite states released to take control of their nations as they saw fit. Germany had been reunified and the Iron Curtain torn to pieces in one fell swoop. Everyone was ecstatic, to say the least.

Everyone but Ivan, that is.

Gilbert couldn’t blame him. Losing a nation was hard. It was  _excruciating_. But for Ivan to lose a Union as massive as the USSR, one that Ivan represented  _himself_ …

Well that had to be all sorts of painful. Gilbert could remember the aches and pains he’d had to deal with. The migraines and night-sweats and  _God_  some days it felt like every nerve in his body had been set on fire. 

“No one will speak to me,” Ivan said quietly; so quietly in fact, that Gilbert almost didn’t hear him.

“Well yeah, you sorta ran everyone into the ground.” Gilbert reminded him bluntly. Ivan closed his eyes and released a sharp breath. “Better’n tryin’ to purge the world for a perfect race.”

“Stalin was responsible for millions of deaths, Gilbert.”

“The difference is it was your own people,” Gilbert replied easily, plucking the cigarette from his lips after taking another drag. He flicked the ash off the end, exhaling smoke through his nostrils. “Herr Hitler was a little more…adventurous on that count.”

“This isn’t really making me feel better,” Ivan remarked.

“Who said I was tryin’ to give you a pep talk?”

“If that’s the case, I would ask that you kindly  _leave_.”

Gilbert seemed to deliberate. “Nah.” He flashed a grin when Ivan glowered his direction. 

Ivan turned his gaze back to the street, watching the cars and pedestrians pass by. It was silent for quite some time before either of them spoke again.

“It gets easier.”

Ivan chanced a glance Gilbert’s direction, watching the other snuff out his cigarette and relax back against the steps. Hes expression was remarkably calm and collected; a rarity for him.

“This,” Gilbert emphasized, motioning vaguely to Ivan’s form, “it gets easier.”

“I’m not entirely worried about the physical misery, Gilbert.”

“I’m talkin’ about bein’ ostracized too,” Gil cut in, folding his arms across his chest. “Yeah, they’re pissed, but years will go by and people will move on.” He shrugged. “It’ll pass.”

“You make it sound like a common cold,” Ivan muttered, tugging his scarf a little more tightly around his neck. “Even my sisters ignore me,” He added quietly.

“It won’t be that way forever.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because nothing is. If you haven’t figured that out after living for damn near a millennia if not more, then what the fuck are you doin’ here?” Gilbert bit out rather harshly. “I used to be an industrial  _powerhouse_. My army was something to be feared. But I also used to be nothin’ more than a handful of half trained nitwits who called them selves Knights when they were anything  _but_.”

“And now it seems you’re in a lesser position than when you even started.” Ivan added dryly.

“But I’m alive,” Gilbert rebutted, “and that’s gotta count for somethin’. You don’t just throw in the towel when something doesn’t go your way. No one gets anywhere with that. I started from  _nothing,_ Ivan. You can start from less. But as I see it, you’ve still got a nation under your feet and obligations to attend to. Make the best of it. You throw away a golden opportunity like that then you’re a coward.”

“It’s not as easy as just-”

“Trust me,” Gilbert interrupted harshly. “I know it. Don’t try and tell me I don’t. But no one got anywhere by rollin’ over and callin’ it quits.” He pushed himself up to his feet, dusting the back of his pants off. “Work hard to make things better. At the very least, they’ll see you try.”

Ivan heard the scrape of Gilbert’s shoes as he stepped back up the stairs. After a few moments he turned and called his attention.

“Gilbert?”

The albino turned on his heel, brows raised and hands shoved in the pockets of his trousers. Ivan hesitated briefly, looking uncertain at first.

“Thank you.” He finally said.

Gilbert’s lips curled up into a lopsided smile as he shot Ivan a mock salute. 

“Don’t mention it.”


End file.
